Tag Archives: geology

On this day in history, September 18, 1870, Old Faithful geyser in Wyoming is documented and named

The geyser Old Faithful was first documented and named on this day in history, Sept. 18, 1870, by the explorer Nathanial Langford. Langford, who was exploring Yellowstone Park as part of the Washburn-Doane-Langford expedition, wrote in his journal that he had spotted a geyser that erupted quite frequently. “It spouted at regular intervals nine times during our stay, the columns …

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Lava continues flowing from Iceland volcano after eruption

Lava continued to spurt from a volcano in southwestern Iceland on Thursday but the activity had calmed significantly from when it erupted a day earlier. The eruption Wednesday was the fifth and most powerful since the volcanic system near Grindavik reawakened in December after 800 years, gushing record levels of lava as its fissure grew to 2.1 miles in length. …

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Images show spectacle of Indonesian volcano eruption as authorities evacuate 7 nearby villages

Indonesian authorities evacuated residents of seven villages within a nearly four-mile radius of a volcano on the remote island of Halmahera in Indonesia after it erupted and spewed ash about 2.5 miles into the sky. Reuters reported that Mount Ibu erupted on Saturday night, turning the sky into a spectacle of gray ash spewing out of the volcano’s crater with …

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Tourists filmed brazenly destroying ancient rock formations at Nevada's Lake Mead: 'Send them to jail'

Authorities are searching for the two tourists who were seen destroying prehistoric rock formations at Lake Mead in Nevada earlier this month. According to the National Park Service (NPS), the incident took place on the Redstone Dunes Trail on Apr. 7. Lake Mead, located along the Colorado River, is the reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam. It is located around …

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What to do during an earthquake and how to prepare

An earthquake is a sudden, fierce shaking of the Earth’s surface that’s caused by movements in the planet’s outermost layer, according to NASA. “It is estimated that there are500,000 detectable earthquakesin the world each year. 100,000 of those can be felt, and 100 of them cause damage,” the U.S. Geological Survey’s website says. The phenomenon could cause property damage as …

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Dozens have been killed by landsides around the world this year. Here's how to tell if you're at risk.

Landslides occur around the world and have helped shape the Earth as we know it. They tend to garner little notice when they strike in remote, unpopulated areas, but they also have the potential to cause immense catastrophes. The landslide that destroyed a rural neighborhood and claimed 43 lives in Oso, northeast of Seattle, 10 years ago Friday was the …

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